Why protect antarctica

Antarctica needs a comprehensive prioritization of management strategies. Nations and institutions with Antarctic interests must collaborate to generate the science base needed to inform conservation planning and policies.

Antarctica has been a beacon of international diplomacy, scientific and peaceful cooperation for 60 years. Authors M. Robinson, S. Change Biol. Article Google Scholar. Rintoul, S. Nature , — PubMed Article Google Scholar. Cavan, E. Nature Commun. Brooks, S. Nature Sustain. Watters, G. Leihy, R. Hindell, M. Nature , 87—92 Brooks, C. Klein, E.

Shaw, J. PLoS Biol. Download references. News 10 NOV Article 20 OCT Article 29 SEP News Feature 10 NOV Correspondence 09 NOV Zhejiang University School of Medicine. Francis Crick Institute.

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PubMed Article Google Scholar Supplementary Information List of co-signatories to this article. Close banner Close. Email address Sign up. Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing. The vast majority of the Antarctic continent and outlying islands has not been visited by tourists but there may be pressure on commercial operators to find new sites.

Mining is banned indefinitely with a provision for review in onwards in Antarctica under the Environmental Protocol. However, there are deposits of minerals on Antarctica that could be exploited including oil, coal and iron ore.

However, despite conservation measures, illegal, unregulated and unreported IUU fishing continues which threatens to undermine conservation efforts. Further action will probably require worldwide consumer boycotts of unsustainably caught fish in the Southern Ocean and engagement with landing ports around the Southern Ocean. Antarctica has a unique biodiversity that has begun to interest companies and bioprospectors. Antarctica is of particular interest because little is known about Antarctic biota and secondly because of the extremes of environment including temperature, aridity and salinity mean that biota will have evolved unique characteristics for survival that could be used to produce commercial products.

Bioprospectors have been interested in an alkali-tolerant yeast, found in sediments of Lake Vanda, fish, sponges, lichen and mosses as well as some micro-organisms. Anti-freeze glycoproteins found in some species of Antarctic fish which stop them freezing could be used to improve fish farm production in cold climates, extend the shelf-life of frozen food and improve the preservation of transplanted tissue.

It was first discussed within the Antarctic Treaty System in Since then it has been discussed during the following meetings of:. Bioprospecting is taking place in Antarctica and it is possible that these activities will increase in the future. A number of commercial products have been produced directly from Antarctic genetic material although some research is now quite advanced.

The Antarctic Treaty does not currently have formal or separate rules for regulating access and benefit sharing arising from bioprospecting. The Protocol does provide for the protection of flora and fauna and protection of the environment and national legislation regulates all activities undertaken in Antarctica.

Bioprospecting has the advantage of being quite a sustainable use of resources as generally very small samples are required for scientific research meaning that the environmental impact can remain quite small. As there are a limited number of people conducting activities in Antarctica it makes it much easier to monitor bioprospecting activities in situ, although tracking and regulating such genetic resources outside of the Antarctic is much more difficult.

In addition, bioprospecting could result in increased funding for basic Antarctic research. Obviously any bioprospecting which involved harvesting of species could have adverse environmental impacts. The Antarctic Treaty made the continent off-limits to military activity, but said nothing about oil drilling or mining. We won, and in the continent of Antarctica was protected from exploitation. There are also protected areas at sea.

But over the last few years, international talks have stalled and huge areas of the Antarctic Ocean are still unprotected. As in the Arctic, climate change is having a greater impact on the Antarctic than other parts of the world.

The southern latitudes are warming three times faster than elsewhere and glaciers are melting faster than they form, raising global sea levels. Less sea ice means penguins have to swim further to find food. Krill are tiny crustaceans , a bit like shrimp, which are vital for almost all Antarctic life. Climate change is causing problems for krill as well. They depend on the edges of the sea ice for food and shelter.

Less ice means fewer areas in which krill can thrive. And as the oceans absorb more carbon dioxide, the water is becoming more acidic and krill struggle to develop properly.

The fishing industry has also targeted krill. Krill oil is being sold as a health supplement and vast numbers of krill were being caught to feed demand. But after huge pressure from Greenpeace supporters, almost every company in the krill fishing industry committed to avoid trawling in sensitive Antarctic waters.